ÅLAND

6,757 islands – of which 60 are inhabited

ÅLAND

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ÅLAND

1809 Åland and Finland is conquered by Russia

1854–1856Bomarsund Fortress falls 1854 (Crimean War) Åland is declared a demilitarised zone at the peace negotiations in Paris 1856

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ÅLAND1917 Finnish independence

1921League of Nations’ decision

on Ålandic autonomy

1922 Act on the Autonomy of Åland takes effect

1954 Åland’s flag

1970 Åland a member ofthe Nordic Council

SELF-GOVERNMENTThe 1921 decision of the League of Nations

Åland to be a self-governed region of Finland. Finland to guarantee the population of Åland the preservation of their: - Swedish language- culture- local customs

Demilitarisation and neutralisation, international guarantees

THE ÅLAND PARLIAMENT

• Åland Parliament; 30 members• elected every four years on the basis of the

number of personal votes

• Åland Government; max. 8 members• appointed by the Åland Parliament • led by the Head of Government

THE ÅLAND GOVERNMENT

SELF-GOVERNMENT

The Åland Parliament has legislative power in areas such as:

• education and culture • health- and social care• environmental issues• trade and industry• local transport• municipal administration• police• postal service, radio and TV

SELF-GOVERNMENT

The Finnish Parliament passes laws – which apply also in Åland – in areas such as

• foreign affairs• State taxation• most civil and criminal law • the court system• customs, coast guard, civil protection• the Church Act

• The President appoints the Governor of Åland in consultation with the Åland Parliament• The Åland Delegation presents an opinion on competence• One Member of Parliament (out of 200)• Dialogue with the Finnish Government and Parliament on language issues, legislative competence and taxation

RELATIONSHIP WITH FINLAND

GovernorPeter Lindbäck

Member of ParliamentElisabeth Nauclér

THE ÅLAND ECONOMY

THE ÅLAND ECONOMYÅland’s GDP 2008, per cent

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Other

Culture and recreation

IT

Public administration

Real estate

Banking and insurance

Hotel and restaurant

Other transport

Sea transport

Retail

Construction

Manufacturing

Farming, forestry and fishing

Serie1

1. The notion of the Åland Example and its components

- Demilitarization and neutralization

- Territorial autonomy

- Cultural and linguistic safeguards

THE ÅLAND ISLANDS: AN OLD AND EVOLVING AUTONOMY

THE ÅLAND ISLANDS: AN OLD AND EVOLVING AUTONOMY

2. Commitment to the basic arrangement

-The institutions have developed considerably over time and function in many ways differently today than at the time of their conception

-European integration has accentuated the need for revisions and adaptations of the system and Åland and Finland are still in search for adequate and appropriate means and procedures for a timely participation of Åland at a European level

-Åland is to be - and is in fact heard - in matters affecting the Islands

THE ÅLAND ISLANDS: AN OLD AND EVOLVING AUTONOMY

3. The Åland Example as a network of contacts

-The Åland Example is a relational arrangement and not a recipe for isolation

-The Nordic countries incorporate four different autonomous examples; Åland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the partly territorial autonomy of Sami traditional territories

- The Åland Example is to be understood within a Nordic integration

-When contemplating on how to solve situations of disputed territories, emphasis should be put not only on the situation and the institutions in the disputed territory/ autonomy but equally on the institutions/procedures in the country within which the autonomy is situated

THE ÅLAND ISLANDS: AN OLD AND EVOLVING AUTONOMY

4. The relevance of the Åland Example for International Conflict Resolution-Different elements of the Åland Example have proven interesting for different actors, at different times and for different reasons-The Åland Example can be of:

- Concrete value: example of institutionalized solutions

- Abstract/conceptual value: Point of reference in discussions about demilitarization/neutralization, minority protection and territorial autonomy

- As a physical meeting space: space for low level talks and meetings